Kyoto Trip Cost: Transport and Admission Prices
What Kyoto costs in October 2026: airport transfers ¥2,200 to ¥2,800, buses ¥230, day passes from ¥700, temple entry ¥500 to ¥1,000, plus the lodging tax.
Getting around Kyoto is cheap and the big temples charge between ¥500 and ¥1,000. A city bus ride is ¥230, subway rides run ¥220 to ¥360, and Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and Nijo Castle together come to ¥2,200 to ¥2,300 for an adult. Hotels are the unknown, because there’s no Kyoto hotel price index on Roam, so this page doesn’t quote room rates. It covers what can be read from official pages as of October 2026, which is transport, admissions and the lodging tax. It leaves out meals and tours, which have no single official price list.
Getting in from the airport
| Route | Fare |
|---|---|
| Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station, JR Haruka, discounted one-way ticket for overseas visitors | ¥2,200 if bought through 31 October 2026, ¥2,700 from 1 November |
| Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station, limousine bus | ¥2,800 adult, ¥5,100 round trip valid 14 days |
Times, other routes and how to buy are in airport to Kyoto. From Osaka, the options are in Osaka to Kyoto.
Getting around
| Ride | Adult fare |
|---|---|
| Kyoto City Subway | ¥220 to ¥360 by distance |
| City Bus, flat fare zone | ¥230 |
| Sightseeing Express bus EX100 or EX101 | ¥500 |
| Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass | ¥1,100 |
| Bus 1-Day Pass (flat fare zones) | ¥700 |
| Subway 1-Day Pass | ¥800 |
On a bus-heavy day the ¥1,100 pass breaks even at the fifth ride. Kyoto passes compares the options, including the passes for Arashiyama, Keihan and the wider Kansai region.
Admission prices
Adult prices from each place’s own page. Where a site doesn’t print a price in a place that could be read for this guide, it’s left out and the place page links the operator.
| Place | Adult admission |
|---|---|
| Kinkaku-ji | ¥500 |
| Ginkaku-ji | ¥1,000 |
| Nijo Castle, castle admission | ¥800, or ¥700 with a one-day subway or subway and bus pass at the castle ticket office |
| Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Palace with the castle ticket | ¥1,300 |
| Nijo Castle, Honmaru Palace | ¥1,000 more, on an advance web reservation, plus the castle ticket |
| Kodai-ji | ¥800 |
| Tenryu-ji, garden | ¥500 |
| Kyoto Imperial Palace | Free |
The grounds of Fushimi Inari Taisha have no closing gate, and the place page lists no entry fee. For places with booking rules and fees, such as Saiho-ji and the imperial villas, see the table in Kyoto travel tips. Special openings and night viewings charge on top, so check the place page for your dates.
A sample day’s transport and entry
This is arithmetic from the prices above, not a quote. Take a bus day with the ¥1,100 Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass, then Nijo Castle (¥700 with the pass), Kinkaku-ji (¥500) and Ginkaku-ji (¥1,000). That’s ¥3,300 for the pass and three entries, before food. The itinerary shows how the days fit together, and how many days helps you scale it.
Lodging tax
Kyoto City charges an accommodation tax per person per night, on top of the room rate. The rates changed on 1 March 2026.
| Room rate per person per night | Tax per person per night |
|---|---|
| Under ¥6,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥6,000 to ¥19,999 | ¥400 |
| ¥20,000 to ¥49,999 | ¥1,000 |
| ¥50,000 to ¥99,999 | ¥4,000 |
| ¥100,000 or more | ¥10,000 |
For where to stay and how the areas compare, see where to stay in Kyoto. It doesn’t carry room prices.
Food and entertainment
Roam doesn’t publish a food price list. Where to eat in Kyoto gives prices where a restaurant publishes them. For free things to do, see the free things to do in Kyoto list. Festivals and markets are often free, and you can see them in the events calendar, with the next few days in this weekend. The map shows what’s near each stop, and live music lists gigs. Season matters for crowds more than for transport and admission fees, so see the best time to visit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a day in Kyoto cost?
For transport and entry, a bus-heavy sightseeing day with three paid sights comes to about ¥3,300 in the example above. Food and lodging are extra.
Are Kyoto temples free?
Some are. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is free. Most of the big temples charge, from ¥500 at Kinkaku-ji to ¥1,000 at Ginkaku-ji.
How much is a bus in Kyoto?
¥230 for an adult in the flat fare zone, and ¥500 on the sightseeing Express buses EX100 and EX101.
How much is the tax on a hotel in Kyoto?
From 1 March 2026 it’s ¥200 to ¥10,000 per person per night, depending on the room rate per person. The table above has the bands.
How much is the train from the airport?
The JR-West discounted Haruka ticket to Kyoto is ¥2,200 if bought through 31 October 2026 and ¥2,700 from 1 November. The airport limousine bus is ¥2,800.
Places in this guide
Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.
Find hotels in Kyoto
Browse live availability and compare prices for your dates.
See hotels near Kyoto on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 31 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Kyoto earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.